Best cheap burr grinder?

[FoolishMortal]

Go for the 8" ..... free shipping, good price ...... don't forget, it needs to be internally cleaned before use ! ..... Traditional Turkish Coffee Grinder Brass Coffee Mill - Etsy - https://www.etsy.com/listing/1135783863/traditional-turkish-coffee-grinder-brass?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=TURKISH+COFFEE+GRINDER&ref=sr_gallery-1-27&frs=1&sts=1&organic_search_click=1&variation0=2385963833

Okay, you got me. I'm going to get the two-pack for $70. One can live at home and the other can live at the office (where I don't have easy access to a full kitchen for rinsing and cleaning of a French press). But you're on the hook for walking me through the initial cleaning process!

If this doesn't work for me, I'll grab one of the Timemore C2, though I'm a little put off by the small(ish) capacity. And based on someone's helpful suggestion, I looked on CL and found a 1950s Peugeot Mokka grinder somewhat locally for just $25; I'm going to grab it, mainly because it's so darned cute, and it can do some work, too.

Man - from zero (real) grinders to three, in just a few days. SWMBO is gonna rake me over the coals for finding yet another rabbit hole!

 

[Doc4]

Man - from zero (real) grinders to three, in just a few days. SWMBO is gonna rake me over the coals for finding yet another rabbit hole!

 

[Mick]

The Hario Doc recommends above is great .. way better than the electric whirlybirds. But some folks are physically incapable to the extent that everything has to be electrically performed for them,

I have 3 of them now I Kyocera And 2 Hario. Different houses and in the RV.

Yea... they are that good

 

[FoolishMortal]

If you can get the Timemore C2 for $55, then go for it. General consensus is that it's equal to the 1Zpresso Q2, which is within 2% of the $350 Commandante grinder.

I've used the plastic/ceramic Harios for years. There is a big difference switching to a stabilized metal grinder. But very little difference between the C40 I use at home and 1Zpresso JS at the office.

$55 Timemore will get you within 95% of the best on the market.

That's a very impressive chart...but other the "burrs" column, I have no idea what any of it means.

 

[StillShaving]

That's a very impressive chart...but other the "burrs" column, I have no idea what any of it means.

From what I have read, a sieve analysis of the grind output does not directly correlate to how the brewed coffee tastes. So the listing order did not make any sense either. I am guessing this was the order the person doing the sieve analysis entered the data into the spreadsheet before doing a column sort.

It seems that most grinders have a sweet spot in what brew method they are best suited for, but most can handle the mid-range well enough.

 

[CCS]

I see the Baratza Encore for around $80. I can't recommend going cheaper than that for an electric.

We've used this model (one at each house) for years and think it's the best quality burr grinder in the $100 range out there. Have no interest in anything else. We've done pour over since Melitta invented it.

 

[TexLaw]

I agree that the Hario Skerton is a fantastic grinder. One downside, of course, is that it's a hand grinder. I don't mind that at all.

However, another downside is that it's not the easiest thing to adjust if you want the different grinds. You adjust it on the bottom, and you need to know or determine the number of "clicks" to get it set the way you want it. By "clicks," I mean that you just turn the little dial on the bottom, and you'll hear it click. There is no way to look at it and tell how it's set, so you need to recall where it's set or tighten it back completely and dial the number of clicks you want.

That's no issue if you want to set it once or change it occasionally, but I would find it an unwelcome hassle to adjust it often. Of course, you could stretch your budget a little and get more, each set for a certain grind, but then you also may as well get the Baratza Encore.

 

[malocchio]

Okay, you got me. I'm going to get the two-pack for $70. One can live at home and the other can live at the office (where I don't have easy access to a full kitchen for rinsing and cleaning of a French press). But you're on the hook for walking me through the initial cleaning process!

If this doesn't work for me, I'll grab one of the Timemore C2, though I'm a little put off by the small(ish) capacity. And based on someone's helpful suggestion, I looked on CL and found a 1950s Peugeot Mokka grinder somewhat locally for just $25; I'm going to grab it, mainly because it's so darned cute, and it can do some work, too.

Man - from zero (real) grinders to three, in just a few days. SWMBO is gonna rake me over the coals for finding yet another rabbit Those vintage Peugeots are beautiful and sturdy, but don't expect a Turkish "powder " from it. You should get a nice Vietnamese PHIN for the coarser grinds.

 

[FoolishMortal]

Those vintage Peugeots are beautiful and sturdy, but don't expect a Turkish "powder " from it. You should get a nice Vietnamese PHIN for the coarser grinds.

Unfortunately, the seller just emailed to say that he's unavailable today. Maybe I'll be able to grab it on Saturday.

Anyhoo...

1. If I can get it, the Peugeot will be used for my French press; and
2. I bought the two Turkish grinders to handle the Turkish powder; and
3. You're still on the hook for teaching me how to clean the Turkish grinders when I get them!

 

[lasta]

That's a very impressive chart...but other the "burrs" column, I have no idea what any of it means.

That's a grind size sieve comparison, left column of the "Sieve Analysis" means % of boulders, middle means target range, and right means fines. They have numbers there with target 20-45, but I'm not sure what unit that is.

From what I have read, a sieve analysis of the grind output does not directly correlate to how the brewed coffee tastes. So the listing order did not make any sense either. I am guessing this was the order the person doing the sieve analysis entered the data into the spreadsheet before doing a column sort.

It seems that most grinders have a sweet spot in what brew method they are best suited for, but most can handle the mid-range well enough.

You are right, just like people measuring blade rigidity haha!

That being said, the company's water cooler is filled with something different from what I buy at home. So home brewed coffee tastes better. Good beans = good coffee, water makes more difference than grinders.

 

[lasta]

That being said, I'm a coffee enthusiast, not a barista. I don't measure extraction % nor do sieve tests on my free time haha.

But what I do know is that the JS has less fines than the C40, better grip, grind MUCH faster, and is cheaper. If I had seen the chart before, I might have bought 2 JS and call it a day.

Kudos to the C40 for having larger capacity though, the JS tops up at just under 30g, I have to top up if I need to make 2 cups.

But not to debate, what I wanted to say is that if the OP can get a Timemore for $55, then go for it. There is barely a 5% difference in mid-range grinders...

 

[malocchio]

I have 3 of them now I Kyocera And 2 Hario. Different houses and in the RV.

Yea... they are that good

MICK, can these 2 make a true powder fine grind ?

 

[FoolishMortal]

That's a grind size sieve comparison, left column of the "Sieve Analysis" means % of boulders, middle means target range, and right means fines. They have numbers there with target 20-45, but I'm not sure what unit that is.

Okay, that's very helpful! It sounds like the chart measures consistency of grind, almost at a per-bean level. The way I read it (and with your explanation), the higher the "20-45" score, the more the grinder is hitting the target size for the grounds. Cool!

 

[Mick]

MICK, can these 2 make a true powder fine grind ?

No.

I use a Hario mini for fine.

 

[paintflinger]

Baratza encore will clog doing Turkish fyi.

 

[FoolishMortal]

I love it when a plan (mostly) comes together!

Although it took time to connect, I did get the Peugeot grinder and dialed it in for a French Press grind over the weekend. My buddy said the coffee was a bit weak, but (a) he drinks Turkish and (b) I'm not sold on the beans. Anyway, I'm happy with it.

I have set up the first Turkish grinder to give me fine coffee, good enough for my "office Turkish" brew. It's working well and my idea that this would enable a much easier clean-up seems to have been accurate. The coffee is strong and I'm still working on getting the coffee-to-sugar ratio right (I like my coffee a more sweet than bitter), but it's very satisfying, and I'm avoiding the need to purchase from *$ or the local shop.

Finally, the second Turkish grinder is...still in the box. I'll get it out this weekend, do a thorough clean per @malocchio's instructions, and set it up for Turkish at home.

Thanks for all the help along the way, gents, and I hope this thread helped some others, too!